1. Field of the Invention
This version of the invention is concerned with the field of devices and methods that provide the appearance of longer or thicker hair. More specifically, this version of the invention is concerned with a hair attachment comprised of natural or synthetic hair that is releasably attached directly to the hair or scalp of a wearer in order to provide the wearer with the appearance of longer or thicker hair.
It is a common desire among many people to acquire hair that is longer and thicker than that which they possess for a variety of reasons, such as self esteem and satisfaction, quickly changing fashion styles, and the like. For instance, short hair may, which is in fashion for a period of time, may quickly be replaced as current fashion with longer, fuller hairstyles. As hair grows at the rate of approximately less than one inch per month, many people find that it is exceedingly difficult to acquire a contemporary hairstyle in a reasonable amount of time. Even when someone possesses hair of substantial length, the hair may lack the thickness or overall volume to achieve a desirable hairstyle. Others may find that their hair grows unevenly and that constant attention and trimming may be required to maintain a desired look.
Various devices and techniques are available in the prior art and in the marketplace that attempt to satisfy the need and desire for longer and thicker hair. A common and well known item is a wig, whereby the hair of the wearer is completely covered by a cap like article to which natural or synthetic hair is attached. Although wigs provide a quick and easy means to achieve longer hair, they do not present a fully natural appearance, a condition that leads to their recognition when they are being worn. More recently, a variety of more natural hair enhancement techniques have become popular with a variety of users. These consist of hair weaves, hair extensions, hair braiding and the like, whereby natural or synthetic hair is attached to the scalp of existing hair of a wearer by a variety of techniques in order to provide the appearance of longer, thicker hair without the noticeable artifice of a wig. These techniques, which overcome the obvious disadvantages of a wig, also suffer from several drawbacks as they are relatively expensive and time consuming to acquire and frequently discomfit the wearer during application.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous designs, devices, and methods for hair lengthening and enhancement have been provided in the prior art. Even though these designs may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present version of the invention as they involve relatively elaborate and time consuming techniques and methods as referenced earlier. These techniques are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,745, Hair Extension Process, issued to Cheh on Dec. 17, 1991; U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,867, Process for Extending Human Hair, issued to Barrington on Apr. 28, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,145, Hair Extension and Thickening Process, issued to Spann on Feb. 9, 1999. U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,737, Method of Attaching A Hair Weft To The Hair Of A Wearer, issued to Nelson on Mar. 16, 1999 discloses a hair attachment device designed to provide the appearance of longer, thicker, and fuller hair. The attachment consists of a quantity of natural or synthetic human hair that is attached at one end to self adhesive tape, which is applied to the scalp or hair of a wearer in releasable engagement thereon. While a hair attachment is relatively simple to apply, the self adhesive tape provides a less than adequate means to secure the ends of the strands of natural or synthetic hair, which can become prematurely separated from the self adhesive tape.
As such, it may be appreciated that there is a continuing need for a new and improved method and device for providing the appearance of longer and thicker hair in a manner that is relatively simple and inexpensive the achieve. In these respects, the present version of the invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus that substantially fulfills this need. Additionally, the prior patents and commercial techniques do not suggest the present inventive combination of component elements arranged and configured as disclosed herein.
The present invention achieves its intended purposes, objects, and advantages through a new, useful and unobvious combination of method steps and component elements, with the use of a minimum number of functioning parts, at a reasonable cost to manufacture, and by employing only readily available materials.
The present version of the invention, which will be described in greater detail hereinafter, relates to the field of devices and methods that provide the appearance of longer or thicker hair. More specifically, this version of the invention is concerned with a hair attachment comprised of natural or synthetic hair that is releasably attached directly to the hair or scalp of a wearer in order to provide the wearer with the appearance of longer of thicker hair. My version of the invention overcomes all of the shortcomings listed previously, in addition to novel aspects that will be described in detail hereinafter.
Described briefly, according to a typical embodiment, the invention presents a hair attachment device or hair extension that is releasably attached to the hair or scalp of a wearer in order to provide the appearance of longer, thicker, fuller hair. The hair extension thus allows the wearer to change the appearance of their hair in order to achieve fashion styles that use longer hair or simply to enhance their appearance by achieving particular hair designs heretofore impossible without the aid of a hair extension. The hair extension that is the subject of the instant invention consists of a quantity of natural or synthetic hair strands that are disposed in parallel relation and are attached or secured at one end to a flexible strip or weft of woven material. The weave pattern of said material securely anchors the attached ends of the hair strands so that said strands do not become separated from the strip of woven material after repeated use. The weft of woven material is sufficiently flexible to accommodate the shape or any scalp or hair mass onto which it is attached. A fastener comprised of a rectangular strip of self adhesive tape with removable backing is sewn, stitched or otherwise attached to the weft of woven material in order to provide the adhesion necessary to secure the hair extension to the scalp or hair of the wearer. The hair extension can be applied to the scalp or hair of the wearer in various quantities and locations thereon as needed to achieve the desired look and appearance, although it is anticipated that the hair extensions will be applied primarily to the rear and top portions of the scalp or adjacent hair. The strands of hair secured to the weft of woven material as referenced earlier can be natural or synthetic and are also available in a variety of textures, colors, lengths, and diameters.
My invention, therefore, resides not in any one of these features per se, but rather in the particular combination of all of them herein disclosed. It is distinguished from the prior art in this particular combination of all of its structures for the functions specified.
In as much as the foregoing has outlined rather broadly the more pertinent and important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood so that the present contribution to the art can be more fully appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and the disclosed specific methods and structures may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent methods and structures do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practices and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
Accordingly, it is an object of my version of the invention to provide a low-cost, easy-to-manufacture, and easy-to-market self adhesive hair extension.
A significant object of the invention is to provide a self adhesive hair extension that is comprised of a quantity of parallel arranged natural or synthetic hair strands attached at one end to a strip or weft of woven material, which is secured to the scalp or hair of a wearer by a strip of self adhesive tape.
A final but very significant object of the invention is to provide a self adhesive hair extension that provides the appearance of longer and thicker hair by overcoming the disadvantages of conventional hair enhancing and supplementing devices and techniques, such as wigs, hair weaves and braids, and removable hair extensions and attachments.
For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention. The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and application of the present invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or by modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention illustrated by the accompanying drawings.